


Hybrid Hotel

by SinPark



Category: EXO (Band), GOT7, SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Adoption, All of this sounds really kinky but I don't have any smut planned out, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, Bird/Human Hybrids, Bunny/Human Hybrids, Cat/Human Hybrids, Chanyeol is Out of Character, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, EXO as hybrids, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fox/Human Hybrids, Hybrid Racism, Hybrids, Jackson is the only member of GOT7 who is not a hybrid, M/M, Plot, Racism, SEVENTEEN work for Jackson as servants, Seventeen aren't hybrids either, Snake/Human Hybrids, this fic is long
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-05-17 08:52:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14829197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinPark/pseuds/SinPark
Summary: Welcome to the Hybrid Hotel, in which eighteen hybrids, most of whom are much like strangers to each other, must trust in the same one man to care for them all. Some fight for his attention while others don't want it at all. As each hybrid's backstory is revealed, things only grow more complicated, especially when tears are shed and threats are made.





	1. Hallway of Hybrids Pt. One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I'm the original author, and this was originally posted on my Wattpad account, hollow17.
> 
> The tags and summary may not have been exactly clear, so allow me to clarify one thing: This story begins in the perspective of Jackson Wang, and switches in later chapters, but it will always be clear who you're looking at. It centers on how everyone learns to cope with their past traumas and mistakes, but also love each other and grow as people.

Jackson walked into the back of the shelter where all the male hybrids were kept. There was a different hallway for the females, but he knew better than to bring a girl back to the six males he had at home. He stepped into the hallway to see six rooms on both sides, and a closed white door; scratched at the bottom and chipped at the edges at the end of the hall. As he looked around, Jackson found no windows at all.

Continuing on, led by Seulgi, an employee of the shelter, Jackson looked at the tiny rooms directly to his right and left. On the right sat a hybrid boy with reddish-blonde hair and doe eyes. He had yellow ears with black spots that matched his excessively long tail perfectly. The hybrid had a collar around his neck but no tags. Jackson grimaced at the animal-boy’s clothes, if they could be called that. He wore a tattered, dirt-brown tank top with matching shorts that stopped halfway passed his knees.

On the left, a hybrid with light gray ears lay asleep on his shabby twin bed that consisted of an old mattress and several blankets. He wore the same outfit as the last one, and his tail covered his eyes.

Jackson grasped that the two rooms looked totally different. The first one had wooden walls from the floor to about waist level, then a gaudy pink-orange paint from there to the ceiling. The second room was entirely cobalt blue, bare of any furniture other than the mattress, while the other room had a dusty rug in the center, an framed twin bed, a nightstand, and a desk with a small stool. Both rooms were closed off from the hallway by vertical metal bars, too thin for even the thinnest of kittens to sneak through.

The owner of the shop wore a nametag that read Cho Seulgi, and she looked way too professional back here in the poor conditions the hybrids lived in. She pointed to the blue room.

“This is our oldest hybrid at eighteen. He’s a black-footed hybrid but very domesticated and well-behaved. He’s good with other hybrids and older children, but he’s never been around little kids.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Not as of right now, no. We don’t name them as that’s one of the owner’s rights, but some of them had previous owners and do have names. This one is called Luhan.” Seulgi turned, her thin black hair swishing behind her, and pointed to the first room. “He’s part cheetah.”

The boy in the cage kept his eyes wide in fear, absolutely terrified and tried to hide behind his desk, curled up into a ball. Jackson frowned.

“Why did his owner return him?” he asked.

“Well, they didn’t. He’s had a bit of a problem since coming here, and is especially skittish around adult men. I mean no offense. The previous owners neglected him quite a bit. The law requires an annual checkup for every listed hybrid, where the local vets go make an appointment with all the hybrid owners. When they went to his home, they found him malnourished.” Seulgi wore a pout, but didn’t sound sympathetic as much as she came off unhappy. Jackson guessed it was because Luhan’s aversion to men made him harder to sell.

“I know how the vets work. I have six hybrids at home right now.” Jackson smiled just thinking of them.

The woman’s dark orbs grew so wide that Jackson began to worry until she composed herself. “That’s half as many as the boys we have here!” she exclaimed. “You still want more?”

“I make it a goal to ensure hybrids are well cared for, and I do my best to help as many as I can.”

“Right. Would you like to see more?”

“Yes, please.”

Truly Jackson wanted to adopt Luhan and the black-foot, but he had to make sure none of the other hybrids needed his help more than they did. He didn’t want to bring home any more than three, at most.

The next two cages were very different from each other. One was a soft beige, and the other a vibrant lime green. The brown room on his left was littered with several containers of paint of various shapes and sizes. Colorful stains covered the cement floor and used canvases were all over the place. Jackson never questioned the intelligence or skill of hybrids, but was amazed at the artistry of this one. Elaborate paintings hung on the walls and some lay in organized rows on the ground, leaning against one thing or another. The hybrid inside sat on the stool in front of an easel, mixing colors on a ruined paper plate. Jackson noticed a leopard-print bean bag in the far left corner at the foot of a twin bed.

“He’s a lion hybrid, as you may have guessed from the tail. No name yet. He’s not deaf, but he gets lost in his own world when he paints.”

“But he can hear everything we’re saying?”

“Yes, but he doesn’t retain it. He’s far too focused. I should warn you, he looks sophisticated now, but is really quite feral. Not even professionals could train him.”

“What methods were used?”

“The usual. He takes punishments too well. We’ve stripped him of all his privileges, cut back on his meals, everything. Nothing works. If he doesn’t at least start behaving, he’ll be put down in 32 days.”

Jackson made a note to adopt that one and turned to the green room.

“What about him?”

“He’s never had an owner so far as we know. Our guys found him on the streets three years ago. Now he’s seventeen. At the time, he was covered in bruises and blood. I don’t know if he was jumped or had an abusive owner or what. He’s wilder than regular hybrids, but that’s because he’s largely panther.”

The hybrid’s room had a few books in it and several notebooks stacked on a bookshelf along with many miscellaneous trinkets. He had no bed, not even the mattress, just a pile of pillows and blankets. Jackson spotted a few holes in them. The hybrid sat on the bed and stared at them with disinterest on his face.

“Anything I should know about him?”

“He’s one of five panther hybrids in Korea. Nothing else about him is worth mentioning.”

“Let’s move on then.”

Jackson marveled at the next hybrid. He had no furniture except for what looked like a brand new twin bed, and two bookshelves, stuffed with books of all sorts. The hybrid sat on the bed, facing them, one leg bent up with his foot resting on the edge of the mattress, arms around the knee, while the other dangled below him, not quite able to reach the floor. He had the most innocent face Jackson had ever seen, and ears like no other hybrid he’d heard of. They pointed up and back a little bit, beige with black tips.

“What is he?” Jackson breathed. The hybrid blushed and looked to the floor.

Seulgi straightened her shoulders proudly.

“He’s the first lynx-human hybrid known to man. He has his tantrums, but that’s to be expected. He’s unnamed, but quite affectionate. Everyone is shocked to this day by how calm he is despite being 3% lynx. I expected him to be a handful, but he’s easygoing so long as he gets enough attention.”

“He’s beautiful.”

The hybrid turned a brighter red and brought his other knee up to fide his face.

“Who’s next?”

The following room was a pale purple, and the back wall had light gray swirls painted on it.

I swear this place could’ve been a daycare in the past.

There was a new mattress and comforter on the floor, but no bed frame, a hoard of pillows, and a tiny desk, identical to the one in the first room. The hybrid just woke up from a nap, eyelids heavy and arms extended in a stretch. He had brown hair which contrasted nicely with his round silver ears. A long, thick tail with a light gray leopard pattern hung over the edge of the mattress.

“His name?”

“None. 1% snow leopard, and very docile. Gentle, too. He’s a sweetie, and one of my personal favorites. God, I’d love to name him.”

“Cute. Let’s continue.”

The leopard blinked at them a little before he bounced off the bed and approached the barred wall. The hybrid stuck his hand out to place a curious palm on Jackson’s chest. His head tilted. Jackson pulled away but gave a smile to show he wasn’t upset about the bold act.

“Oh, sorry, I should’ve said something. He likes to touch.”

“That’s fine.”

Next came a Siamese hybrid with outrageously high cheekbones and a light grin. His room was a pale yellow and only contained an old mattress, a rocking chair, and a beanbag. Seulgi said his name was Jongdae. On the other side of the hallway, Jackson saw something he did not expect. In an empty, dark grey room, a boy sat against one wall, curled in on himself, with his back to the bars. He had no tail, and no animalistic ears or horns, either. No wings, even.

“Why isn’t there anything in his room?” Jackson frowned at the grim atmosphere.

“He behaves well but never asks for anything. We offered him a brand new bed once, but he turned it away.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Chanyeol. Rarely says a word, the poor thing.” Chanyeol shifted at that, enough for Jackson to see his right cheek but messy hair covered his eyes. “He was homeless for a bit over a year. That’s about as long as we’ve kept him, but he’ll be put down in two days. The stats all say he’ll never get adopted.”

“Why not?” Jackson furrowed his brows at the woman.

“Have a look at him. Chanyeol, come here please.”

“No. I don’t want to.” The hybrid had a low voice, a little raspy, like he needed a drink.

“A customer wants to see you,” Seulgi encouraged.

“No one will take me out of this cell, it doesn’t matter how many rich patrons you bring in here.”

Jackson finally noticed why Chanyeol was the only one to speak. All the other hybrids so far had worn collars. He concluded they must have been shock collars. From the sliver of Chanyeol’s neck that Jackson could see, it was bare.

“Chanyeol, behave yourself. You may have only two days left, but I will still collar you if you don’t cooperate.”

The hybrid huffed but stood and walked over, head down.

“Look at him, Chanyeol. You’re being rude.”

“He won’t like me.”

The hybrid’s voice seemed to grow more coarse with each word that dripped from his mouth.

“You can look up, Chanyeol. I promise not to judge you,” Jackson said sincerely.

The boy turned his head so Jackson could only see his right cheek but Chanyeol did look up.

“Chanyeol,” Seulgi huffed.

“No,” he whined.

Jackson slipped a hand through the bars and took Chanyeol’s chin in his forefinger and thumb, turning his head to face them properly. Chanyeol sucked in a quick breath, shut his eyes tight, and bit at the inside of his cheek.

Jackson had no reaction. It made sense. Chanyeol had no ears, no tail. On his left cheek, green scales shimmered in the light.

“Chanyeol is 5% snake,” Seulgi explained.

“Chanyeol, open your eyes. You’re perfectly fine.” The hybrid warily complied. Jackson’s hand never left the boy’s face. “You’re fine. And you won’t die in two days. I’ve got you.”

Chanyeol’s widened as he pulled back. “What?”

Jackson turned to Seulgi. “I’ll adopt him. Before I fill out the paperwork, I’d like to have a look at the rest of them, please.”


	2. Hallway of Hybrids Pt. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson reaches the end of the hallway, met with a face he not only thought he'd never see again, but one he definitely didn't want to see under their circumstances. When certain hybrids shed more light on the situation, Jackson makes his final decision as to who will return home with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An explanation for the late update is in the end notes along with a message for anyone who wants to follow this work. You don't have to read it unless you want to know where all the content for July went.

After Chanyeol, there were only four more hybrids. An unnamed, domesticated brown cat, an unnamed fox, and then they hit a white calico with black and yellow spots named Jongin. Each of them were lovely, and Jackson was already forming a plan. His thoughts stopped immediately, however, when he reached the last room on the right.

The cat-hybrid was a gray tabby with black stripes. It had adorably oversized ears, and a tall, lean frame. The hybrid boy was putting some papers into a cabinet when Jackson got to him, mouth agape. He peeked at Jackson through the bars and instantly dropped the papers.

The hybrid ran as close to the bars as he could, but was stopped short by a chain shackled to his right wrist. He whimpered and called out.

“Ja- Ah!” The hybrid whimpered louder and violently clawed at the collar around his neck.

“Sehun!” Seulgi said in a scolding tone. “What is the matter with you? You’d been doing so well, and now you throw a temper tantrum right in front of a customer? Ugh, what will I do with you?” she groaned. Sehun’s whines did not relent.

Tears ran down the hybrid’s face and threatened to do the same to Jackson, who gently moved Seulgi aside to kneel and latch his hands on the bars.

“Sehun,” he gasped. He looked up at the woman above him. “How is this possible? Where did you get him from?”

“A dump in Hong Kong shut down and transferred some of their animals here. What’s wrong?”

“Open the door. Take his collar off.” Jackson stood and wiped at his eyes. Sehun looked to the woman pleadingly.

“Why? Are you adopting him?”

“For fuck’s sake, yes. Now open the door.”

She did just that and used the number pad on the side of Sehun’s collar to put in a code and unlock it. Jackson helped the hybrid to his feet and hugged him tightly.

“Sehun.”

“Jack.”

“You’re the owner who gave him up in China?” Seulgi gasped.

Jackson chuckled. “Yes.”

“I missed you,” Sehun breathed into Jackson’s shoulder.

“Oh my God, you’re taller than me now!”

“Mm-hm.”

“Why do you have a hybrid chained to a wall?” Jackson demanded, stepping back from the embrace to glare at Seulgi.

“I don’t know how he acted when you owned him, but he’s somehow fit himself out of those bars more than once.”

Jackson looked at the barred wall. The openings were too thin. Sehun should never have been able to do that.

“Lift your shirt,” he ordered the hybrid.

“What?”

“Sehun, pick your shirt up.”

“No!”

“Why do you want him to do that?” the lady asked.

Jackson rolled his eyes and pushed Sehun’s shirt up to find a concave stomach.

“You’re not eating!” Seulgi shrieked. “Your plate is always empty! What on earth have you been doing?”

Sehun shoved Jackson’s arm down and adjusted his top. “I give it to Chanyeol and Jongin.”

She whirled to face Jongin’s cage. “How dare you! How dare you not tell me about this?”

Jongin moved to the back of his room to the pile on blankets and sat down. She clearly intimidated him.

“Don’t be mad at them, it was my idea,” Sehun protested.

“Trust me, I’m upset with you, too Sehun.”

“Sehun, why would you do this?” Jackson asked softly.

“I hate it here. I want to leave. I can fit through the bars like this. I made it all the way out to the street last week. If I’d timed it so that the mailman didn’t come right as I left, I would’ve made it.”

“And never seen me,” Jackson argued. “That’s not good for you, Sehunnie.”

“I don’t care!” He threw his hands up, causing the chain that connected his right arm to the wall to clink in the air. “Seulgi and the other employees put on a great façade, but you don’t know what they’ve done to some of us! Take Luhan for example.” Jackson thought back to the first named hybrid he came across. “He’s not afraid of people because of his old owners. He’s been here long enough to move on. He’s skittish because they punish him every time they find out he’s hoarding food again!”

“Sehun, that’s enough!” Seulgi moved behind him and refastened the collar, though Sehun struggled plenty. Jackson tried to stop her with words, but didn’t want to physically get in the middle of it. He would adopt Sehun anyway, so the collar would be off in minutes.

“That’s why you keep them all collared other than Chanyeol. You don’t give him enough water, so it hurts for him to speak anyway,” Jackson accused.

“That’s not true! Luhan won’t eat properly because he’s afraid we’ll stop feeding him like his old owners did. He hides the food.”

“And what exactly do you do when you find his stash, hmm?”

“They hit him,” Chanyeol croaked from down the hall.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jackson growled.

“How else would you handle him?” Seulgi snapped back.

“I would watch him eat, and make him sit there until every bite was gone.”

Seulgi went silent and frowned.

“I want them all.”

The woman shook her head, as if she’d been in a daze and misunderstood.

“I’m sorry, you what?”

“I’m adopting all twelve of them. Go get the paperwork.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ ME :D  
> Hi. Ya girl had to help with VBS (Vacation Bible School - basically my church gives parents of young children a break for three hours while high schoolers suffer in an attempt to take care of them all. There were 120 kids okay leave me alone). That lasted all of last week. A preview of the chapter you just read was supposed to come out last week, but Prince (me) forgot because she had NO SLEEP, so I decided to just skip it (read: I forgot to write it in the first place) so here's your update. A preview of the next chapter will be published next Tuesday.
> 
> ALSO- I'm traveling A LOT this summer, starting this Friday. I think I might only be home for a total of five days in the month of July. I will TRY to post. I cannot promise that it'll happen on any sort of schedule. I might be able to get a friend to help me out.
> 
> Please lemme know if this was kudos-worthy by, well, yeah you get the point. Comment for me if you found something I could improve on or maybe change. Constructive criticism will take me further than no feedback :P I want to improve in order to release better content.
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING! ~Prince


	3. Give me Your Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson's already made one bold decision, so why not keep the ball rolling?
> 
> In which Jackson has the hybrids' collars removed and asks their names. As for those who don't have one yet...well, you'll just have to see how he chooses to work all that out.
> 
> Work count: 2288

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the crappy summary. This is likely the least entertaining chapter there is so far, but it needs to happen, so here you go. I promise you a better one next time.

_I really should’ve thought this through._

Jackson stood in the lobby with eleven still-collared male hybrids, plus Chanyeol who wore nothing around his neck. He signed all the papers before he realized he did not have near enough room in his car. So, he called his other hybrids to drive over. As long as the boys followed traffic laws and had his permission, they could legally drive.

_Woo-hoo._

Jackson held his cell to his ear. JB had reluctantly agreed after trying to talk Jackson out of the decision, but that ended when Jackson informed him the purchase had already been made.

“Yes, I need you both to come now. It’s a surprise... Ugh, fine, let’s just say I’ll be bringing a lot home and can’t fit all of them in my car... Yes, the keys are still there. Oh, quit arguing with him and get over here!”

While he did tell JB he’d need more car space, he neglected to specify just how many people he’d be bringing home with him.

Seulgi handed him a long sheet of paper that consisted of all his hybrids and a bunch of numbers.

“You need names for the ones who don’t already have them, and of course you can change the names of the ones who do if you wish. The numbers beside their name or hybrid type unlock the collars.”

“Alright.” He took the list and turned his back to her so that he now faced the crowd of boys. “Let’s get started.”

He removed Luhan’s collar as delicately as possible, so as not to frighten him. For all he knew, Sehun could have been mistaken and Luhan really did fear men. Luckily, that did not seem to be the case as the hybrid offered him a very shy smile. Jackson nodded at him.

Next, he went to the oldest hybrid, the black-foot, and removed his collar.

“What do you want your name to be?”

All eyes in the room went wide.

“I… I get to pick?”

“Of course. It’s your name. And frankly, if you’re not born with one, you should totally get to choose. This way, you’re comfortable with it. Legally, I own you. Logically, you’re still human. Maybe part animal as well, but it makes no difference to me. I’ll treat you the same as I treat my friends.”

The black-foot blinked several times. “What about Minseok? Or Xiumin?”

Jackson smiled. “Either one is fine.”

“Minseok!”

“Minseok it is. Moving on.”

Jackson approached the lion-boy and entered the passcode to unlock his collar. Seulgi had given him a bag to stash them all in.

“What will your name be?”

“Yifan.”

Jackson was not surprised by the deep voice considering the features of the hybrid.

“That doesn’t sound Korean.”

“It’s not. Neither am I.”

“What are you, then?”

“A little African, mostly Chinese, and a bit Canadian.”

“The name actually sounds kinda cool. I like it. Next one.”

He moved along to the panther from earlier and went through the same process as the others. The hybrid decided to be called Junmyeon.

Jackson had anticipated the lynx. He was absolutely precious with his timid nature and pointy ears.

“Your name?”

“Yixing.” The boy blushed. “Or Lay. When I was little, all the vets called me that because I could sleep anywhere.”

“I like it. Both names suit you, but Lay can be your nickname. Are you okay with that?”

Yixing nodded.

At last he reached the snow leopard.

“How about you?”

“I’ve never thought of a name… I don’t really know what I want.”

Jackson sighed. Seulgi may be evil, but he had to do the right thing.

“What do you want to name him?”

Her eyes lit up.

“You’re sure?” she asked, hope in her eyes.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to sue the crap out of your business, but I don’t see why you shouldn’t get to do one harmless thing. If he’s okay with it, I am, too.”

Everyone eyed the leopard for his response. He seemed to think for a moment before he answered.

“You may have allowed the other employees to be cruel to them…” he paused to gesture towards the other hybrids. “But you’ve never let them touch me. I often hear you talk about how much you’d love to name me and take me home from work every day. It’s really the only way I can thank you.”

Jackson’s heart seemed to tighten at the boy’s affection for this woman who mistreated those around him. Seulgi teared up and rushed to hug him. Jackson noted that the hybrid was slightly shorter than her.

“Thank you! I’m so sorry I never got to bring you home with me. I’ve never been well off and you hybrids are worth more than you think, financially. What do you think of Baekhyun?”

The hybrid smiled. “It’s uncommon. I like it.” He hugged her back.

“Let’s continue,” Jackson said after Seulgi pulled away. Baekhyun nodded and sat in one of the cushioned metal chairs in the waiting area with a few other hybrids.

“Where’d the Siamese go?”

The indicated hybrid came out from behind a couple other boys and stood still while Jackson took off his collar. The boy sighed as Jackson tucked it into the bag with the others.

“Glad to have that off?” Jackson grinned in sympathy. The siamese nodded. “Would you like to change yours?” Jackson queried.

“Can it really be anything I want?” he asked carefully.

“I mean, if you choose something too crazy I’ll ask you to reconsider, but I won’t make you change your mind. The only rule is that once the papers are signed, I will not pay to have your name changed,” he clarified.

“I’ll keep Jongdae.”

“It does have a nice ring. You’re sure?”

“Yes.” Jongdae let a thin, toothy smile creep onto his face.

Jackson walked over to another boy he’d encountered when walking down the hall.

“Chanyeol, if you want yours changed, I can-”

The hybrid interrupted him. “No, I’ll keep it.”

“Good lord. Seulgi, would you get the kid a glass of water? He sounds as though his vocal cords have been scratched by a cat.”

“Right, sorry.” She blushed and scurried off to retrieve the drink. Jackson hoped her cheeks went red out of regret.

“Also, the same goes for any of you who have already been named. If you’re unhappy with it, I’ll have it changed, but only once.”

Many of them nodded, and a couple mumbled their response.

“Next was… you!” Jackson motioned for the boy with brown cat ears to step forward. He did.

“God, these collars are annoying. Mark may not talk much, but I can imagine how pissed he’d be if I stuck one of these on him. They must get on your nerves. Luckily we’re almost done, and the others should be here soon. Then we can take you all back to my estate.”

Seulgi reentered the room and handed Chanyeol a chilled bottle of water. He took it and gulped half of it down in one go.

“I do have a name,” the cat-human hybrid said once he was safely out of the collar.

“I thought you were never adopted?”

“I wasn’t. But I have a name.”

“Okay. What’s your name?”

“Kyungsoo.”

Jackson’s eyes opened a little more, but he gained his composure as fast as he’d lost it and masked the surprise. Recognition flashed through him, but he knew he’d never seen this boy before. Nerves clawed at his ribs, but Jackson choked them down and went back to the task at hand.

“Right. Now for the fox.”

A boy, part-fox stood a little taller than Jackson. He had bright orange ears with black points, and white on the inside. Jackson typed in the code and dropped the collar into the bag. He did plan to keep them in case one of the new hybrids acted out, as they were not as domesticated as those he already owned.

“Zitao. May that be my name?” he asked.

Jackson noted his speech sounded a little forced and wondered if he had a different first language, but didn’t want to ask just yet. He’d learned from BamBam that asking the simplest questions regarding a hybrid’s personal life could set them off.

“Of course. It’s a good name. Last two.”

Once the calico was given free speech, he spoke.

“I already have a name, so I’ll keep it. I’m Jongin.”

“Alright. It sounds nice. Now, Sehun. Do you want to change yours?”

He forgot he hadn’t unlocked Sehun’s collar yet but was easily reminded when he turned to face the boy who had a hand on his hip and a glare in his eyes.

“Right, my bad. 6…0…mm… There you go!”

“No way would I ever change it. My name is the only thing they let me keep when I left China.”

“They wouldn’t let you have your things?”

Sehun shook his head with a grim smile. “No. They threw all my extra clothes away right after you left. The workers distributed everything they kept equally among me and the other boys. I ended up with a couple books and stuff like that, but they took most of it. Then, when the store shut down and we were all transferred, they said there was no room for stuff we didn’t need. I snuck a couple things I could hide underneath my shirt but that was all.”

Jackson’s heart sank. “I’ll get you new things. That goes for all of you.” He looked around at the others. “Whatever you want, whatever you guys need, I’ll get it for you. I want every single one of you to not only be okay, but to be happy with your life from now on. I’m going to take care of you.”

“What do you think everyone else said to those of us who have been taken in before?” Chanyeol shot him a glare, but he sounded more hydrated now.

Jackson looked him right in the eyes and spoke firmly but gently. “Probably something very similar. The difference is that I mean it.”

“Some of them meant it when they said it, too. Then they realized how high-maintenance hybrids are.”

“I know what I’m getting myself into, Chanyeol. I promise. I have other hybrids.”

“Exactly! How many did you say? Six?” Jackson nodded. “We triple that number. You alone cannot possibly attend to eighteen hybrids. We’re not ordinary animals. We don’t need a ball with a bell inside of it to be entertained; we require social interaction. We have to be educated. We need real beds, not just some cushion on a floor.”

Chanyeol sighed before continuing. “The human side of us takes its toll. The animal portion gives humans the excuse to buy, sell, and own us, to give us titles like pet and livestock. The human bit is what makes us difficult to manage. It enables us to talk back, to cause a scene, to reach doorknobs and free ourselves. It is much harder to train a human than it is to train an animal. That leaves hybrids at a miserable in-between.”

“Chanyeol, please, calm down for a moment. I’m up for a challenge. I can ensure that each of you gets your needs met. If I cannot convince you of that, the other hybrids will. I know how to take care of hybrids. I’ve been doing it for many years. As I said before, the law now states that you are my property as well as my responsibility. I don’t take that lightly. Still, I will never treat you as something that I own. To me, you are all people who will live in my home until you reach a point where you can take care of yourselves and wish to leave,” Jackson promised.

“I will never force any of you out, but if you don’t want to stay, you may go as long as I know you’ll be taken care of. If you run off and are found living homeless while you’re still in my name, I will surely be fined and there would be the possibility that I go to prison. If that happened, every hybrid in my care would get sent back to places just like this. I do not intend to train any of you. I will correct you when you are wrong and encourage you to become good people, but I can’t imagine what on earth I could even train you to do that I can’t do for myself. I am not enslaving you.”

Chanyeol huffed and looked aside.

“Channie, Jackson isn’t like all the bad ones we’ve seen. He’s kind. I promise you,” Sehun said.

“Kind enough to throw you out, sure.”

Sehun’s lips straightened into a thin line. “They had a good reason. They loved me. He still loves me.”

“There’s never a good enough reason to send someone away if you love them.”

“Boys, that’s enough. You don’t need to fight over this,” Jackson said.

“They couldn’t afford me. They did their best for as long as they could. Right, Jackson?”

“Oh, God. Of course we loved you Sehun. Nothing was the same after that. I hated my mother for nearly two months. You were my best friend.”

“Humans and hybrids do not associate as friends,” Chanyeol retorted. “It’s a parasitic relationship. Denying that just makes you ignorant.”

“Chanyeol, I said that’s enough,” Jackson scolded.

“What are you gonna do? Stick me in one of those collars?”

“If you continue to upset those around you with your words, then yes, I will put you in a collar until I’m confident that you’ve learned better.”

Chanyeol snickered but kept his mouth shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter wasn't AS good as usual. I starting writing this fic a long time ago, though, and I've tried to edit it enough to make it much better without having to rework the story.
> 
> If you have any suggestions of how to make it better, have a go in the comments.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and as always, any criticism kept constructive is welcome! ~Prince


	4. Welcome to the Hybrid Hotel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After adopting a dozen new hybrids at once, Jackson must now make arrangements to get them all home. Enter Mark and JB, two of his most trusted hybrids from home. Tension floats through the air as everyone is introduced to each other. Though, some discover they've already met in an unexpected reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a little short, but I make up for it in the next one, which is just over 3k and by far more entertaining. Please enjoy!
> 
> Word count: 1254

The door to the shop opened and two male hybrids stepped in. Chanyeol repositioned himself in one of the chairs against the same wall as the door so his left cheek couldn’t be seen. Jackson recognized Mark, white ears and tail on full display. He wore a plaid black and green sleeved top, with black jeans ripped at the knees. Jaebum, his black cat-human hybrid entered behind Mark in a loose, plain white shirt and a dark leather jacket over it along with blue jeans.

“Jackson!” Mark squealed, rushing over to hug him. Jaebum stood leaning against the doorway to admire the display of affection.

“You know,” Jaebum started “he may be older than me, but he still acts like a child around you.”

Jackson and Mark both chuckled fondly and Jaebum grinned. Mark and Jaebum looked around at all the other hybrids, then at each other, and finally at Jackson.

“Jack, is this what you meant by a surprise?” Mark’s voice came out cautious.

“Yes. There are twelve of them, and they’re all coming home with us.”

Jaebum gave him a look with his eyebrows raised, but was still smiling. Jackson knew they needed to talk later. Jaebum always gave great input when it came to other hybrids.

“M-Mark?” Jongin squeaked as he came closer.

Mark turned to look at him and gasped. “Jongin!”

The two rushed towards each other and hugged for a long, long moment.

“Mark… is he…” Jackson couldn’t finish.

“My brother,” Mark said through silent tears. “He’s my little brother.”

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Jongin breathed.

“I looked for you every chance I had, Jongin, I swear. I went to every shelter in Daegu. Nobody knew where you were. I searched every website and hired at least a dozen PI’s and info brokers. Nothing came up. I thought you were dead.”

“God, no. I’ve been here the entire time.”

“Jongin… do you know how long it’s been?”

“No…”

“They gave us up eight years ago.”

“I missed you every day.”

“Me too. I was worried.”

They finally pulled away and Jackson felt so at ease to see that interaction. He knew what it felt like, in a way, because of what happened with Sehun. He was so happy Mark finally found the brother he’d always longed for.

“Well, let’s pack up and get on the road,” Jaebum said lightly.

“If any of you want help gathering your things, just let one of us know,” Mark offered.

“We don’t have any things,” Chanyeol muttered, tone more bitter than black coffee.

_And Seulgi said he didn’t talk much_ , Jackson thought to himself. 

Mark frowned and turned to Seulgi. “Pardon me, but do you work here?”

“I do.”

“They don’t have any personal belongings? Not even something like a favorite pillow?”

“He-well, I guess I should say Jongin-doesn’t _have_ a pillow,” Chanyeol informed.

“You don’t provide them any bedding?” Mark continued, sounding confused more than anything else.

Jaebum stepped in and put a hand on the shoulder of a pouting Mark.

“They’re not required by law to give hybrids anything other than enough food and water, as well as proper medical attention.”

Mark’s head drooped. “Oh.” He turned to look at each of the hybrid strangers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“I have a couple things, but I can get those on my own,” Sehun said.

“No you don’t,” Seulgi scoffed.

Sehun gave her a hard glare. “Actually, yes, I do. You didn’t find everything I had on me when I got here.”

Sehun went to the back for a moment and returned with three folded pieces of paper.

“Yifan, we should get your paintings,” he said.

“No, just leave them. They’re not worth anything,” the taller said with disinterest.

Baekhyun looked to the lion hybrid. “They are to you. I know how hard you work on those. You don’t want to take just one or two?”

“You can’t even see into my room, and I’ve never heard any of you talk about them,” Yifan countered.

Baekhyun chuckled. “You don’t hear a lot of things when you’re working on a new piece. That, and for a while there we couldn’t talk. Come on, let’s grab a couple. If you’re not gonna take them, I will.”

“Fine.”

The two went off, followed by Jongdae and Yixing after they asked if that was alright.

“Why are they so timid?” Mark whispered to Jackson.

“You are in a room full of animal people, most of which have two sets of ears, yourself included, and you don’t think any of us can hear you whisper?” Chanyeol sassed.

“I’m sorry,” Mark apologized. “That was stupid of me.”

Jackson shot Chanyeol a look, and the hybrid huffed. “No, you’re fine. I wondered the same thing when I got here. A lot of us did,” said the snake.

Jackson mouthed a quick thank you to Chanyeol who rolled his eyes and waved at the human, as if he could physically deflect the unspoken gratitude.

“You both brought decently large cars, right?” Jackson asked.

Jaebum grinned. “Yeah. Mark came in the Escalade and I drove the truck.”

“Good. I took the Mercedes, which cannot comfortably fit more than four of these guys.”

The hybrids returned from the back rooms, each with a few canvases in tow.

“Ready to load up?” Jaebum asked.

A mutual agreement was declared and they decided who would ride with who. Jaebum took Yifan, Junmyeon, Kyungsoo, and Jongdae. Mark decided to take five so that nobody fussed over who got squished into the middle seat in the back of Jackson’s CLS. Mark fit Zitao, Baekhyun, Yixing, Luhan, and Minseok into his SUV. Chanyeol sat in Jackson’s passenger seat, with Sehun right behind him, and Jongin behind Jackson.

“Do you let all your hybrids drive your cars?” Chanyeol snapped.

“Only the ones that I trust. Of course, they have to get a license first.”

“You are so stupid.”

“No, Chanyeol. Those two have done a lot for me. They’re very responsible, and they earned it.”

The rest of the drive was mostly quiet until Jackson asked if any of them wanted to turn on the radio. Jongin said he hadn’t listened to music in forever, so Jackson turned it on and let Chanyeol flip through the various stations of commercials and old-school songs until they found one that caught Jongin’s attention.

It took them forty minutes to reach Jackson’s estate. Sehun gaped and fidgeted all over his seat in an effort to see more through the different windows.

“I can’t believe you can afford this!” he yelped. “When I last saw you, your mom couldn’t even keep hot water or air conditioning. Now you live in a mansion? This is where you live, right? You’re not just pulling up to the front to mess with us so you can drive away and crush my every hope and dream born in this moment?”

Even Chanyeol laughed at that.

“No, Sehun. I’m not messing with you. This is where I live.”

“We never crossed the border. I thought you were from China?” Chanyeol said.

“Hong Kong, born and raised. I moved here like, ten years ago. Never imagined it would result in a hybrid hotel, but it worked out great. Let’s go get you settled.”

“Hybrid hotel? That actually has a nice ring to it,” Sehun said. “Jongin? Thoughts?”

“Um… I like it.”

“Even _I_ can get behind that,” Chanyeol agreed, stepping out of the vehicle.

“It’s decided then. Welcome to the Hybrid Hotel!” Jackson shouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this felt a little short. Warning though, the next one is more than twice as long and it's pretty much just one conversation, but it does reveal a new character, as well as hint at his backstory.
> 
> If you have any constructive criticism, please let me know. Even small stuff like typos and punctuation errors really help me out.
> 
> Good news! We've officially caught up with my Wattpad account! Before, I had more chapters on there than I did here, but because of how I've been doing things, we're on the same chapter now.
> 
> Bad news! Instead of regular chapters every Tuesday, I'll be posting in a different way. Next week, both on AO3 and Wattpad, I will post a preview of the next chapter. The week after that, I'll post the chapter itself, and things will carry on that way until the book is complete. This isn't to keep y'all on edge so much as it's to allow me more time to write, edit, revise, and organize this story on both platforms so that it reaches it's fullest potential with as few mistakes as possible.
> 
> Feedback is greatly appreciated! Gimme some love :3 Questions are also welcome, and if you ever wanna chat about bands, fics, writing, or other miscellaneous things, message me on Instagram: @Prince_Jiminie_
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! ~Prince


	5. Intruder Alert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I am a day late and for that I apologize, but it is a rather long chapter, so hopefully that'll make up for it :)

The others had pulled up behind Jackson and gotten out of the cars in time to hear him shouting the new nickname for his estate.

“What on earth?” Mark asked through his laughter.

“The Hybrid Hotel. That’s what we’re calling it from now on,” the blonde answered.

“Oh my God,” Jaebum sighed. “Jinyoung is gonna lecture the hell out of you if he ever hears you say that.”

“I don’t mean it in a bad way. Just look around. Eighteen hybrids, one human. It totally fits.”

Jaebum rolled his eyes, still grinning. “I know.”

“Let’s all go inside. I’ll have Jinyoung and Yugyeom cook you guys some dinner. BamBam and Youngjae will be excited to meet you,” Mark said.

“Do they expect us?” Zitao wondered aloud.

Jackson hummed thoughtfully. “I told them I was going to come home with a new hybrid, but at most, they only expect maybe three. I’ve never brought home more than two at once, and that was only one time.”

“You realize we make up four to six times what they might have anticipated?” Sehun asked.

“Yes.”

“Couldn’t they be a bit…I dunno, territorial?”

“Just don’t go into Jinyoung’s room without asking either him, me, or Jaebum first. It puts him in a bad mood. This way if you need something from there and he’s not around and he throws a fit about it, one of us can back you up.”

Two young men approached from the steps and took the keys to the cars. A third came out of the enormous double doors and rushed down to offer help with their luggage, seeming completely unfazed by the amount of hybrids in the courtyard.

“Thank you so much, Seungcheol. Can you have Junhui and Jisoo and all of them set up… how many bedrooms are available?”

The younger man straightened. “I believe you currently have twenty unoccupied rooms, Mr. Wang.”

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Jackson for you to actually do it?”

“Enough for Jeonghan to let me,” Seungcheol said.

“I’ll talk to him about it.”

“Please don’t. I’ll get in trouble.” Seungcheol pouted.

Jackson laughed at his immediate worry.

“Alright. Thanks for your help. I’ll be in shortly.”

“Of course, sir.”

Seungcheol went inside, gently carrying about six canvases, while Jackson’s other workers, Hansol, Wonwoo, and Soonyoung parked the cars.

“You don’t have hybrid workers?” Kyungsoo asked, confused.

Jackson let out a bark of laughter. “Am I supposed to?”

“I guess not.” Kyungsoo grinned shyly.

“Let’s get you boys inside. JB will make sure someone is cooking a meal for you all, and in the meantime, we can discuss sleeping arrangements, and you might get to meet some of the others.”

“I doubt BamBam is even out of bed yet,” Mark said.

“True,” Jackson agreed with a head tilt.

They all walked up the enormous white marble steps, which reflected the sunlight back onto them. Seungkwan and Junhui opened the doors for the crowd and shut them after welcoming Jackson, Mark, and Jaebum home.

~***~

Jackson led the group of hybrids through the entryway into the oversized living room. It had a giant, carpeted staircase that led to an open loft on the second story. On the left and right of the staircase, directly in front of the group, were six matching silver-colored, cloth sofas, three on each side, perched on white carpet with small coffee tables between each of them. The couches were at a slight diagonal, with the three couches closest to the entryway blocking them from walking straight to the stairs. Jackson moved to the left and went through the wide opening. On the opposite end of the diagonal pathway was a brick fireplace.

The wall to the left was entirely made of bookshelves from end to end, floor to ceiling. It even had ladders hooked into grooves on the shelves and wheels on the ground so they could be moved from side to side. One, however, was not adjustable and led up to a trapdoor that opened up into the loft.

The hybrids openly admired the layout.

“Take a seat wherever you like. We could go upstairs, but I’m not sure all of you will fit. I need to get more bean bags for the loft anyways. The ones we have now are old,” Jackson rambled.

“I’ll go check the kitchens,” Jaebum informed before darting off through a door to the left.

“Okay, thank you!” Jackson called just in time for Jaebum to wave his hand in acknowledgement before the door concealed him inside of the kitchen.

“You mean we can sit anywhere?” Yixing asked.

Jackson puzzled at the question for a moment. “Of course. I mean, you don’t have to sit; you could even take a spot on the floor if you wanted, but the couches are really comfy.” He winked.

Chanyeol and Sehun shrugged. Chanyeol claimed a recliner while Sehun grabbed Jongin’s hand and guided him to a two-seater.

“I mean it, guys. Make yourselves at home.”

Mark cringed, and Jackson knew he messed up. A lot of the boys looked around at each other.

“I’m sorry,” he amended. “I should have thought more before I said anything.”

Sehun looked lost. “Why?”

“Because a lot of us don’t know what that means,” Yifan grumbled. Nevertheless, he took his spot on a couch, and everyone else soon followed.

“Alright, so as you might’ve heard Seungcheol say earlier, there are twenty rooms for you guys,” Mark said, effectively changing the subject. “That doesn’t mean you are all required to have your own room. If you want to share with each other, you can. In fact, a couple of the hybrids who are already here share a room.”

“Do you share one?” Jongin asked Mark innocently.

Mark looked to Jackson who gave a nod only he could see. “I often stay with Jackson, but I do have a room of my own.”

“If any of you have any preferences, let me, Mark, or any of the staff know. If you want a balcony, a lot of rooms have those. If you like a lot of windows, there are a couple corner rooms that have more than the others. In some cases, two rooms will be connected by a single bathroom, so if you don’t want to share a room but don’t mind sharing a bathroom, we can have you set up in one like that. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re completely comfortable no matter where you stay,” Jackson offered.

The room stayed quiet. Mark stepped forward.

“Listen. You don’t have to be afraid to speak up. It’s okay to tell people what you want,” he promised.

Still, no response, only worried glances between hybrids.

Jackson sighed. “If you’d like to talk about this later tonight, after you’ve eaten and gotten a little more used to us, that’s totally fine. In the meanwhile y’all can talk to each other and decide if you want to share a room. Just keep in mind I took those collars off for a reason.”

Mark gave Jackson a confused look, but the blonde waved it off to convey he’d explain later. Jackson eyed everyone in the room until Sehun spoke up.

“We’ll talk to you about where we want to stay over dinner. Are we allowed to look around until then?” Sehun asked.

“Of course. Go anywhere you like, but if you find a room that someone’s obviously staying in, please respect their privacy and don’t go in.”

“Right.”

“Let’s check on food.” Jackson led Mark from the room.

They went through a door into the kitchen to find Jinyoung and Jaebum already started on a meal.

“I can’t believe you brought home twelve strangers,” Jinyoung growled the instant Jackson entered, dark grey and white ears flat in discontentment.

“Hey, I didn’t know you well when I took you in, either,” Jackson defended, perturbed.

“That’s true, but I was younger than they are, and easier to influence. They could have committed crimes in the past!”

“Jinyoung, the shop workers are required by law to inform me of any previous incidents, which they did.”

“Excuse me,” Mark said. “I’m going to check on Youngjae. Is he in the music room?”

“I believe so,” Jinyoung replied curtly.

Jaebum remained present but silent as he continued to prepare the food.

“What exactly did the staff there tell you?” Jinyoung questioned.

“They were introduced by age. The second eldest, Luhan, had previous owners who neglected him. When the annual checkup came around, the vets found him malnourished.”

“Anything else?”

“One of them was found bloody and beaten half to death on the street, if that makes you feel any better,” Jackson sassed.

“What the hell did he do? Start a fight?”

“They don’t know. He never talked about it.”

“See? You don’t know anything about him! He could have been a hitman before he got listed!”

“Oh, sure, Jinyoung. He killed people for money when he was fourteen. That sounds completely intelligible.”

“Well, you didn’t tell me his age.”

“And you didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity to criticize him, whom you’ve never even met. You yourself are a hybrid, you should know how that feels.”

Jaebum turned off the stove where he had been sautéing vegetables and slammed his spatula onto the counter before he stormed out.

“Great going, Jackson. You had to know that would set him off. Any of those twelve strays you brought in could say something to trigger BamBam or Youngjae. You know how sensitive they are.”

“Yes, Jinyoung, I do know all of that. How? Because I’ve cared for JB for the past seven years! I have provided for you and Youngjae for the past five! Yes, some of those boys are strays, and they’re in our house, which I know is uncomfortable for you, but you being bred in a shelter doesn’t make you any more valuable. You’re worth so much to me because I’m close to you and I love you, not because of your status in some hybrid hierarchy that you made up out of fear and sorrow!”

“Dammit, Jackson!” Jinyoung snapped, slapping the knife flat onto the cutting board. He bowed his head and wqueezed his eyes shut. “I know that! I know it! I just don’t understand how you could be so reckless. You know how Mark gets when he does something even the littlest bit wrong. You know how BamBam hates strangers. You know how every new experience reminds Youngjae of that stupid cat at the shelter! You know how I feel every time you bring in a new hybrid. I prepared myself for you to bring back one, _maybe_ two or three, which I wasn’t particularly comfortable with. But this is too much, Jackson. There are _twelve_ boys out there. They’re younger than me, newer than me. I bet a lot of them are prettier than me, too.”

“God, no, Jinyoung. You know you mean everything to me.” Jackson rested a hand on the other’s shoulder. “They’re not here to replace you. They’re here because I couldn’t leave them in that shelter. They weren’t treated right.” Jackson went around the counter to hug him. “I could never get rid of you, and if somehow you were taken from me, there would be no way to replace you, no matter how hard I tried. You’re priceless, Jinyoung. You know I’m not him, and that I would never do that to you.”

Jinyoung took in a shaky breath before he responded.

“I know. I just… I don’t trust them. I can’t.”

“Trust _me._ ”

“I’m trying. I’m just not sure you thought this decision through." Jinyoung met Jackson's gaze. "What about all the money? And will everyone get along to suddenly? What else did the staff tell you that we should know?”

“One step at a time, love. I have the financial support, trust me, the paperwork proves it now. They seem to get along with each other, except for one of them, and I do have my concerns, but I can do this. _We_ can do this.”

Jinyoung nodded and stepped out of the embrace to resume cooking.

“Which one makes trouble?”

“It’s not so much that he causes problems, but I think he has some things he needs to work through. I want to get them all looked at by vets and those weird hybrid mental doctors.”

“They’re called hybrid therapists. What’s the kid’s name?”

“Chanyeol.”

“What type of hybrid is he?”

“You’re going to be so mad at me,” Jackson groaned, weight against the counter.

“Just tell me. I may be self-conscious but I’m not… animalist? Is that the word?”

“Could be.” Jackson shrugged. “Chanyeol is 5% snake.”

Jinyoung actually dropped the knife on the counter.

“You brought a predatory, reptilian hybrid into a house full of domesticated felines?” Jinyoung’s voice seemed to rise with each word.

Jackson hesitated, but Jinyoung’s glare left no room for a change of subject. “Well, not predatory.”

“He’s a _snake!_ ”

“Hey, I bet there are some great pacifist snakes out there that would take much offense to your assumptions.”

“Jackson, this is not a _joke!_ ” Jinyoung squealed. “He could be poisonous. What if someone accidentally eats or drinks after him?”

“I doubt he’s poisonous, okay. He’s mostly human.”

“Jackson, that doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous. There could be a hybrid, same genetic make up as him, who is poisonous, whereas he may not be. It could go either way for him.”

“I’ll make sure to ask the next time I see him if it’ll ease your concern.”

“Ugh, fine. What else?”

“About Chanyeol?”

“Do I _need_ to know something else about Chanyeol?” Jinyoung eyes him in that no-nonsense way again.

“He was homeless for a bit over a year before they got him listed. He hides his face a lot and covers most of his skin. He gets very uncomfortable when people look at him, or if he’s asked to make eye contact and stuff like that.”

“Why? Wait a minute, if he won’t let anybody see his skin, how do they know what he is?”

“I’m sure they had him sedated. That or someone just made him show his face.”

“But why does he hide it?”

Jackson sighed and frowned. “He has scales on his left cheek. He didn’t let Mark or JB see the spot even once. Still, it didn’t seem odd, or like he was trying to keep the spot out of sight. You’d have to already know he was trying to hide the scales in order to notice it, really. He’s quite stealthy. It’s no wonder he made it on the streets unnoticed for so long.”

“Yeah, a year is a good while. So Mark and JB, they don’t know?”

“I don’t think so. Neither of them mentioned it or reacted at all, and I didn’t tell them.”

“They’re going to be surprised.”

“Probably, but I’m sure they’ll be okay with it. None of you are the type to judge someone based on race or look or whatever. I should warn you, though, Chanyeol has a big mouth. He’s a good kid, I think, but he really does like to talk back now that he can.”

“Now that he can,” Jinyoung echoed. “What does that mean?”

“Oh. Right. When I got there, they all wore collars. I thought they were just for show at first, but when I got to Chanyeol, I realized that wasn’t the case. Chanyeol didn’t have one, but he could hardly speak. He was really dehydrated. His throat must have hurt like hell.”

“Okay, but how is any of that related to the others’ collars?”

“Chanyeol didn’t wear one, and he’s the only one who spoke, though he strained to do so. None of them talked to me. Given, one was asleep, another looked terrified, and a third was really distracted.”

“Were the collars on too tight?”

“Not at all.”

“Then what?”

“They were in shock collars.”

Jinyoung grimaced.

“Oh, God. Why?”

“Well, that’s another story.”

“Carry on.”

“Right. Do you remember Sehun?”

“The hybrid your mom got you after her divorce?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“You gave him up before you moved, right?”

“Oh, yeah, years earlier. I got Sehun when I was seven, and had him until I was fourteen. I moved to Seoul when I was twenty.”

“So… What about him?”

“He was there. I saw him again. And now he’s here.”

Jinyoung, for the third time, stopped what he was doing and released the knife to face Jackson.

“You’re sure it’s him?”

“Absolutely. He remembers me, of course. He said my name.”

“I thought Chanyeol was the only one without a collar?”

“He was. Sehun tried to call my name and got shocked. They had one of his wrists chained to a wall.”

“What the hell?”

“I know. God, he looks so bad right now.”

“Is he okay?”

“No. I don’t know. He was starving himself.” Jackson’s tone dropped to a mumble at the last sentence, but Jinyoung still heard him.

“Why would he do that? Don’t tell me he wants to die. You can’t go through something like that right now; not with twelve new hybrids to take care of on top of the six you already have.”

“No, that’s not why. He did it so he could fit through the bars.”

“Bars? There were never bars in any shelter I stayed in.”

“I know, but it’s more acceptable now, socially. It gives off the sense that they’re more animal than human, which is never true.”

“Right. So he was trying to run away?”

“Yes. He’s so skinny, Jinyoung. His stomach caves in. His clothes practically look the same on him as they would on a hanger.”

“He’ll be fine, okay? He has no reason to do that anymore. Not unless he still wants freedom from the system.”

“No. He was so happy to see me.” Jackson cheered up at the thought of when they hugged earlier. “He’s just like he was when I left him. God, I feel terrible for that now. They took away all his things, and now he’s unhealthy. I should’ve gotten a job back then.”

“Jackson, you weren’t old enough to legally get a job unless you worked for your parents, and your mom didn’t own a business,” Jinyoung reminded.

“But my dad did.”

“Your dad was a narcissist,” the hybrid pointed out.

“Fair enough,” Jackson relented.

“So, why didn’t the workers want them to speak?”

“Because the minute Sehun could, he told me what the staff did to those kids. He knew he could trust me, so he didn’t hesitate.”

“What happened?”

“Like I mentioned earlier, one of them, Luhan, was starved by his previous owners. After that had been going on for so long, he got into the habits of eating less during meals and saving the leftover food in case they stopped feeding him. Every time they found his stash, they would “punish” him. At least, that’s what Sehun called it.”

“How badly?”

“I’m not sure. He looks okay right now, but based on how scared he was when we walked in, I’m sure it got intense.”

Jinyoung frowned and sighed. “That’s awful. Did they abuse the others, too?”

“Again, I’m not sure. I know Chanyeol was supposed to be put down day after tomorrow, so that’s probably why he didn’t have a collar on. I’m guessing they quit giving him enough food or water since they thought he was going to die anyway.”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to go through that. Any other horror stories I should know of?”

“Not really. Yifan is part-lion and was supposed to be put down in a month because he’s supposedly rather feral, but I only saw him calm. Zitao is a fox hybrid and was found in the woods by a family that went on a camping trip. They said he must have grown up wild. Guess what kind of hybrid Yixing is.” Jackson was excited now.

“I don’t know. Is Chanyeol the only one who’s not a cat?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll guess a tiger.”

“I didn’t get a tiger actually. He’s a lynx.”

“There are no lynx hybrids,” Jinyoung protested. A small pout settled on his lips.

“There’s only one. He’s in this very house, in fact.”

“You’re serious?” Jinyoung peered up at him with a curious grin.

“Entirely.”

“That’s amazing. What else?”

“How about you find out at dinner, once you’re finished making it, so that I can go check on JB?”

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading! ~SinPark


	6. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter marks the beginning of many perspective changes. So far, everything has been focused on Jackson, but for the next several chapters, you'll be looking at a single hybrid each time. This is for character development, but I can promise I've done my best to make it very clear from the beginning of each chapter which character it is you're looking at. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> NOTE: This chapter is incredibly short, so I do apologize. At least I made it on time this week, so at least there's that.

Sehun dragged Jongin up the stairs the second Mark and Jackson left. Jongin sighed, but followed anyway. While they were given permission to wander, Jongin still worried.

_I certainly don’t want to anger anyone by taking advantage of this privilege…_

“Sehun, where are we going?” he groaned.

“Does it matter? Jackson said we could go wherever we wanted!”

“He could still change his mind,” Jongin reminded

They ran through the loft, up two more flights of stairs, took a right down a hallway and then another right into a study with a large desk at the far end of the room, facing the doorway; and an office chair at the perfect center behind it. Two more chairs faced the desk on on opposite sides; each at an angle.

“People can always change their minds, Jongin,” Sehun said, taking Jongin’s hands in his. “I know Jackson very well. I grew up with him. Trust me, he’ll never hurt you as long as he has a choice.”

“You really trust him? He could have changed. It’s been several years.”

Sehun released Jongin to go shut and lock the door before he sat Jongin down, knelt at his feet, and took both of Jongin’s hands in his again.

“Jongin, how much faith do you have in your brother?”

His eyelids expanded at the mention of his long-lost sibling.

“I trust him with what little I have.”

“Does Mark look mistreated to you?”

He thought on it for a solid minute before he averted his gaze. “He doesn’t.”

“Of course not. He doesn’t seem like he’s in bad shape because he isn’t. That means that this Jackson is still the same one who raised me. If he were dangerous, I would not have defended him to Chanyeol. You know how stubborn he is. If Jackson were truly not a good person, I would have taken you and ran outside, away from him, but I did not. Jackson is someone you can rely on. I swear on my life, he’ll be good to us.”

“If you say so.” Jeongin shook his head.

_Eighteen hybrids to care for. Just how much time does this man have? I need to find Mark. Maybe he can tell me what Jackson’s really like._

Sehun stood and left him to his own devices. They promised to meet back in the same office at 7 o’clock. In the meantime, Jongin went on an adventure. He found himself in the loft when a tall sunshine of a servant approached him.

“Excuse me? I thought I might check up on you and see if you needed anything. My name is Seokmin,” came the introduction. “I’ll be around for anything you need; a snack, jacket, somewhere to lie down, anything.”

Jongin loved the sound of that, but chose to tread carefully.

“Is all of this okay with Jackson?”

“Absolutely,” Seokmin replied in a smooth tone. “He’s asked us employees to make sure you and the others have everything you need to feel comfortable. So, can I do anything for you?”

“If I could bathe, that would make my day,” he admitted.

“I know how that feels.” Seokmin laughed, and motioned for Jongin to follow him to the third floor, into a bedroom and then to a connecting bathroom much larger than Jongin’s cage at the shelter.

“Towels are in the cabinet, and I’ll have a selection of clothes brought to the bedroom for when you step out.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”

“Please, don’t hesitate to ask if there’s something you’d like. Jackson is anything but greedy. He’ll get you whatever you need, and then a lot more. This is no trouble at all. Take your time, and I’ll send someone to find you when supper has been prepared.”

Jeongin felt his eyes soften and his heart swell. He gave a light smile.

“Thank you. Really, things like this mean more than you think.”

Seokmin flashed another dazzling smile. “I know.” And with that, Jongin stood alone.

_Mark can wait._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if any of that got confusing. If you have any questions, constructive criticism, compliments, or corrections, please comment! And kudos never hurt btw :P
> 
> Thanks for reading! ~Prince


	7. Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can either call me 3 days early or 4 days late, but either way, I'm just giving you guys a full chapter. I know it's been a while and honestly, I feel like just publishing a preview would be cheating you guys out of content.
> 
> So, without further ado, have some soft gay fluff. Plus a little angst. But it's a cute chapter I swear.

Baekhyun left the group in the living room, pulling Yixing along with him. The leopard dragged him to a bedroom on the second floor. The older tugged his hand from the other’s grip with a roll of his eyes, locking the door behind them while Baekhyun sat on the bed. Both hybrids neglected to turn the lights on.

“What’s up, snow leopard?”

“Well, my pretty lynx, I want to cuddle.” He grinned cheekily.

Yixing gave him a knowing look. “Explain.”

_This kid’s always been secretive, even for someone who can’t talk._

Baekhyun sighed. His features contorted from suggestive to unsatisfied and anxious as he plopped himself onto the mattress.

“I’m lonely, lynx.” He looked down, flushed and suddenly unsure.

Yixing came to rest a hand on Baekhyun’s upper arm to urge him to continue, sitting himself beside the other.

“I don’t know how to say this…” Baekhyun avoided Yixing’s gaze, bowing his head. “I don’t want to tear down the little bit of joy that everyone has right now.”

With a sigh, Yixing crossed his legs beneath him on the bed.

“I mean, if we’re being honest, I don’t think many of us are very hopeful,” he assured the younger. “We’re...wary. None of us know Jackson or these other hybrids. I can’t speak for everyone, but personally, I care more about those I already know.”

Baekhyun nodded, but let the calm blanket of silence settle over them a moment longer.

“Listen,” Yixing began, “You can tell me anything. I know what we all went through back at that shelter.”

The younger hybrid held his face in one hand and let out a heavy breath, head still turned away from the other.

“I know, and I know that you care. This just isn’t something I really thought I’d get to say out loud and now that I can, I’m not sure if I should.”

“I’m not going to make you talk about anything if you don’t want to,” Yixing decided. “But, I do want to make sure that you know I’m here for you. We may not be able to trust Jackson and the others, but we should at least trust each other, right?”

Once again, quiet sat in the room like an unwelcome guest, but instead of comfortable, it felt constricting, as if it prevented any words from escaping Yixing’s lips.

Before he realized the situation, he heard a sniffle, and saw Baekhyun’s shoulders shake. His own eyes widened in surprise, and he moved to hug the younger. Baekhyun didn’t protest; only let himself be held for a second before returning the affection, crying silently.

“You can say it,” Yixing whispered.

With one more exhale, the leopard spoke.

“I’ve wanted to die for so many months now.” He sniffled, dropping his head onto the other’s shoulder. “I couldn’t speak, couldn’t hear anyone’s voice except the staff. I couldn’t touch any of you. No hugs, no pets, nothing.” Silent tears ran down his face but Yixing waited for him to finish.

“After having the same three meals a day for sixteen years I feel like can’t even taste food anymore. I was so used to everything I smelled there; you guys, the employees, the food, I thought I lost my sense of smell, too. I’ve dreamt so many times that I went blind. Every night it felt like every part of me was dead other than this longing to touch you, to hear your voice, smell the toothpaste on your breath, or to taste it on your tongue, _anything_ to know that I was alive and sane. _Anything_ to prove that you and the others weren’t just people I made up to keep me company. I thought I was dead, and that you weren’t real, and I’m so sorry, but I was so scared for the longest time.”

Baekhyun was sobbing when Yixing tightened his embrace and pet his hair, purposeful to occasionally scratch against his ears.

“Shh, don’t worry, Snow. I’m right here. We’re all here. We’re all real. You’re okay and you’re alive. Nobody’s dead. I’m right here. If you ever get scared like that again, come to me. Can you do that?” He made eye contact.

Baekhyun nodded, and they resumed the hug.

“Good. Thank you. How about at dinner tonight we tell Jackson and Mark that we want to share a room, hmm? Do you like that idea or no? We don’t have to if you don’t want that.”

“Yes,” he rasped. “Please.”

“Alright. Shh, you’re okay. Come on, you need to lay down. I’m not going anywhere, okay? How about you get some rest. I know you didn’t sleep well last night. You were tossing and turning like crazy. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

Yixing had guided the leopard to lay down and tucked him under the lavish violet covers. Baekhyun held his hand until he cried himself entirely to sleep.

~***~

Baekhyun sat up with a start. His throat hurt from crying, and his eyes were dry for the same reason. He looked around for Yixing but only saw a dark, empty room. His thoughts spiraled.

_No… I really imagined it. I’m insane. He’s not real. Nobody comforted me. It was just a lie I told myself when I was a kid._

The door opened soundlessly as he began to cry again. Baekhyun hushed himself when the light from the hallway hit him. In the doorframe stood Yixing with a plate of snacks, seemingly stunned to find Baekhyun awake and distraught. Baekhyun cried, less passionately than before. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Yixing set the tray down on a nightstand and climbed onto the bed, door open and forgotten.

“Shh, I’m here, Snow, I’m right here. I’m so sorry. You were so still that I didn’t think you’d wake up if I went to ask for food. I’m so, so sorry. I’ll never do it again. You’re okay, I’m right here. I just wanted to make sure you had something to eat when you woke up. I should have let the workers bring it in. God, I am so sorry, Snow.”

Baekhyun calmed himself, though now Yixing was in tears, clearly dismayed.

_He thinks he’s disappointed me..._

“It’s okay, you meant well. You just wanted to take care of me without burdening anyone else.”

“Oh, Snow, you’re not a burden.”

“I know, I just meant you were being thoughtful of their time. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re not. I’ll never do it again. I’ll think it through next time.”

“Don’t feel bad, I’m just overreacting. God, I thought I’d imagined the whole thing from before I went to bed.” Baekhyun chuckled at himself.

“I’m here now. It’s okay. Can you eat something for me? I’ll send for a drink of water.”

“Okay.”

Yixing got up and used the intercom to request two glasses of water. When he saw Baekhyun’s puzzled expression, he explained that after the leopard fell asleep, a servant walked in to clean the room, unaware of the hybrids. The worker introduced himself as Jeonghan and told Yixing how to use the intercom if he needed anything.

They cuddled for a bit until a young man knocked, even though the door still stood open.

“Excuse me?” he called fromthe door.

“Come in,” Yixing invited.

“Would you like some light?”

Yixing looked to Baekhyun, who nodded.

“Yes, please.”

Over a dozen jar-lights sparked to life above the top of the Victorian bed.

“Thank you so much,” Yixing said, taking the glasses from the servant. “I’m sorry to have troubled you.”

“Oh, don’t be. It’s my job. I’m Junhui, by the way. I apologize if my Korean is a little choppy. I’m actually from China.”

Baekhyun listened as Yixing and Junhui conversed in Chinese. After a couple minutes, Junhui pointed to Baekhyun. Yixing replied in Chinese again, much to Baekhyun’s frustration.

_Well, I don’t think I can imagine people speaking in a language I know is real but do not understand._

“My bad,” Junhui said in Korean. “I just meant to ask if you were alright. Not to pry, but you look like you’ve been crying.”

“That’s okay. We’ve just had a very strange day, that’s all. Thank you for the concern, though. It means a lot,” the leopard replied.

Junhui nodded and said goodbye before he left and closed the door behind them.

“That was embarrassing.” Baekhyun blushed.

“I’m sorry. I should have stuck to Korean. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“You’re cute when you speak Chinese.”

Yixing then let out a cluster of words that Baekhyun failed to memorize and understand.

“What does that mean?”

“I love you, and I’m here for you, unconditionally.”

“I love you, too.”

“I think we’d love each other more if we were clean,” Yixing said through a laugh.

“Agreed. Does that door over there lead to a bathroom?” Baekhyun pointed at a too-tall white door on the wall to the right of the bed, several paces away.

“I’ll go check.”

Yixing got out of bed and made his way to the indicated door to peek inside. Baekhyun watched the lynx flip on a light.

“Come on. You get the shower ready, I’ll call for something for the both of us to change into.”

“Okay.”

Baekhyun smiled when he and Yixing passed. Yixing kissed his cheek then kept walking, and the leopard giggled.

He stayed against the shower wall so as not to get sprayed in his clothes and turned the water on before adjusting the temperature. He got out of the shower but kept a hand in to make sure it didn’t get too hot.

Yixing returned with a grin on his face and shut the door behind him.

“How do you want to do this?” the blonde asked.

“Hmm?”

“Who goes first? Or would you rather shower together?”

Baekhyun couldn’t tell if Yixing had a preference, so he went with what he wanted.

“Together.”

“Okay. Is it warm?”

“Come see if you like it.”

Yixing walked to the shower and stuck his fingertips into the spray.

“It’s good. I’ll get in first.”

Baekhyun looked away, cheeks ablaze as Yixing got undressed and stepped into the shower. He realized he’d waited too long when the other hybrid spoke up.

“Are you coming?”

“Oh! Right, just a second!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you doubt me when I said it would be cute? Lol I would. Come scream at me in the comments for making Baek depressed.

**Author's Note:**

> I sincerely hope you enjoyed. If you caught any mistakes (typos, punctuation errors, contradictions, etc.) please comment!  
> Also, if you liked it, there's more to come. I first posted this on Wattpad a few weeks ago, and there's actually another chapter uploaded there.
> 
> PLEASE READ IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW THIS STORY  
> Here's how updates work: I will post once every Tuesday, but a chapter comes out once every two weeks. The week in between chapters, I will post a short preview of what's to come. For example, next Tuesday I will post the preview for chapter two, but the week after that, I will post the chapter itself.
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING! - Sin


End file.
